


Captain Of My Soul (OLDER DRAFT)

by Vesania94



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-11
Updated: 2016-06-11
Packaged: 2018-07-14 09:30:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7165628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vesania94/pseuds/Vesania94
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Now being rewritten as of 1/14/17!</p><p>Please feel free to enjoy the OLD first chapter, but head over to the new one and enjoy the angst turned up to 11!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Captain Of My Soul (OLDER DRAFT)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It matters not how strait the gate  
>  How charged with punishments the scroll  
> I am the Master of my Fate  
>  I am the Captain of my Soul

Cullen rushed towards the open rift, arriving just in time to see a woman fall face forward out of it, sprawling on the ground. He watched as blood pooled around her head only realizing upon his approach that it was actually the color of her hair, a dark auburn against the green light-stricken snow. He stiffened.  
  
He could smell the haze of lyrium on her, along with the sharp metallic tang of the strange magic her prone form buzzed with, overlaid with a strong smell of peppermint.

A _mage_.

One of his soldiers ran up to her, flipping her over, her hair spilling over her lean face and dark lips, black eyelashes framing a harsh red tattoo on her cheekbone, which against her pallid skin, and in the eerie green light seemed to glow with the intensity of a campfire. It was then that they noticed the green slash across her palm, crackling in time with the same disturbing green as the Breach.  
  
His soldier’s voice brought him out of his reverie. “She’s alive, Ser.”  
  
He eyed what was now his charge dubiously. “I’ll take her back to Haven. Hold this position soldier.”  
  
He leaned over and picked up her tiny form. She felt like she was made of bricks, hard and unfeeling, her head lolling to the side, his eyes almost drawn like a magnet to her pulse point where he could see the hammer of her heart causing the artery to stand proud against her skin. The scar cracked violently, and seemed to grow in size, causing her to arch her back in unconscious pain as her heart rate shot beyond what could be considered safe.  
  
He had to hurry. Their only survivor of the disaster was slowly slipping away in his arms.

______

"You're lying!"  
  
Grace fought the urge to spit in the woman's face as she was hauled backwards, more forcibly than she expected.

"We need her, Cassandra."  
  
Grace's head whirled around to glare at the redheaded woman who was also in the room. She hadn't said much since entering what Grace assumed was some kind of prison cell, based in the dank and musty air. She winced as her hand pulsed with an eerie green light. They were arguing, and didn't pay attention to her. The redhead left, and the other woman came towards her.  
  
"What _did_ happen?"She ventured, asthe woman she could guess was Cassandra started to unlock her shackles.

"It will be easier to show you." Cassandra sighed, pulling Grace to her feet.  
  
Grace blinked as she was dragged into the light. Surely she was hallucinating the giant green gash in the sky, leaking what she knew to be powerful magic. She was startled out of her trance by Cassandra's voice cutting through the silence.

"We call it the Breach."  
______

Her ears were ringing from the explosion on the bridge. She rolled onto her left side gingerly, coughing as dust settled into her nose. She heard Cassandra gasp as a light sprang in front of them, a demon coming into view. Grace looked around hurriedly looking for anything that she could use to help, when she noticed an apprentice staff sticking into the ice, just out of hand's reach. She grabbed it and pushed all of her magic into it, flexing her shoulders slowly, letting a stream of flames engulf the monster. It's screams would have resounded for miles, had not the clamor of fighting drowned it out. Cassandra turned on her, pinning Grace to the ice with her sword.  
  
"Drop your weapon. Now."  
  
Grace glared at her darkly. "Do you really think I need a staff to be dangerous?"  
  
Cassandra looked disapprovingly at her, and let out a breath of air. "You're right. You are dangerous. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't have a staff. I should remember you agreed to come willingly." she grunted, sheathing her sword. "Come. We have to get to the forward camp."  
  
The pair rushed up the hill, hearing the sounds of fighting grow louder. Cresting the rise, they saw a bright green slash through the air, and a group of people clustered around it. An elf rushed up to her and grabbed her marked hand. Grace winced at his surprisingly tight grip as he shouted at her and thrust her arm into the light. With a large crack, the split in the air snapped shut.  
  
"Well, at least this thing is good for _something_." she sighed.  
  
"Let's just hope it works on the big one." A gruff voice behind her sighed. She turned to see a dwarf shouldering an intricate crossbow. "Varric Tethras, at your service."  
  
"Nice crossbow." Grace smiled at him pleasantly. The dwarf -Varric she reminded herself quietly, smiled widely.  
  
"She is isn't she? Bianca's one of a kind."

"You named your crossbow Bianca." Grace giggled. She would like this one, he seemed like a good sort. Cassandra groaned behind her.  
  
"She'll be great help in the valley." Varric smiled.

"Absolutely NOT," growled Cassandra.

"Have you been in the valley lately, Seeker? Your men aren't in control anymore. You need me."  
  
"If there are to be introductions," the tall elf strode up beside her, causing Grace to jump. "My name is Solas. I'm pleased to see that you yet live."  
  
Varric nudged her, "He means he kept that thing from killing you."  
  
Grace looked up into the elf's eyes. They were sad, if not outright cold. "Thank you" she said, honestly, hoping the warmth of his smile would touch his eyes in some way. He had already turned to the Seeker. 

"Cassandra, your prisoner is a mage, but I cannot see any mage having such power."  
  
"I see. Thank you, Solas."  
  
Grace stiffened as a flash of light shot pangs through her mark and she eyed the Breach warily. This didn't go unnoticed, as Cassandra ushered their little group onwards, glaring at Varric.

______

They reached the forward camp without much incident, only to find another rift waiting for them. The bloody fighting was over in a matter of moments with the help of her new acquaintances -she couldn't call them friends, they had wanted her dead not hours before- and rushed through the door. She glanced up, right into the angry eyes of a Chantry cleric.  
  
"I demand this woman be bound and transported to Val Royeaux immediately!" he keened, turning away, and wagging his finger at the redhead she had met earlier in her cell.  
  
Grace felt Cassandra bristle beside her, "Absolutely not. You have no authority here, Chancellor." She turned to the redhead "Leliana, we have to get her to the Breach."

The redhead- Leliana- started discussing tactics with the Seeker, whether to charge with the soldiers, or to take a small force through the mountain pass, only to have the Seeker wheel about to look at Grace. "What do YOU think we should do?"  
  
"You're asking MY opinion?"  
  
"You have the mark," Solas offered.  
  
Grace looked up at the mountain. Somewhere up there was a group of scouts, and they'd been missing since the Breach opened. She sighed heavily, looking directly at the Seeker. "We'll take the mountain pass. With any luck, we'll encounter your missing scouts."  
  
Cassandra let out an angry puff of air, and Varric patted her arm, walking towards the gate. Grace slumped a bit. From an Enchanter on her way to a Senior Enchanter position, to apostate, to wanted criminal in less than a year.  
  
What would First Enchanter Lydia have said if she had lived to see this?  
  
"Maker preserve me." Grace muttered under her breath, following her captors into the caverns that towered above them.  
  
______  
  
"Close the rift now!" Cassandra yelled, deflecting the claws of a shade.  
  
Grace gritted her teeth and thrust her hand towards the crackling rift, her hand burning with pain and tears pricking at the edges of her eyes. She could feel herself being pulled upwards and she tried to dig her toes into the ground. Her vision tunneled, black creeping into the edges of her sight, until all she could see was a pinprick of light.  
  
A huge crack rent the air, and she felt her knees give out as she slumped to the ground.  
  
The last thing Grace remembered was a firm pair of hands gripping her shoulders, and Cassandra shouting "You did it!" before she slipped into blissful blackness.


End file.
